The twin brother of Steve, Mark Waugh was one of the world's most elegant and gifted strokemakers. His game was characterised by an ability to drive, cut, pull and loft the ball so effortlessly that it could make him look disdainful of the talents of bowlers. Waugh made his name as a middle-order player for New South Wales in the late 1980s, twice winning the Sheffield Shield Cricketer of the Year titles as he built and maintained a first-class average in excess of fifty. Although he lived in the shadow of his more famous brother for a number of seasons, progression to international cricket was inevitable. The only sour note when his promotion eventually came, for the fourth Test of the 1990-91 series against England, was that it arrived at Steve's expense. Critics took issue with Waugh's apparent loss of concentration at times and his capacity to occasionally succumb to lazy-looking shots. The weakness was on show most evidently during his disastrous 1992-93 tour to Sri Lanka when he scored four successive Test ducks, but it would be hard to find a player more difficult to
contain when in full flight. To complement his batting skills, he offered
handy part-time bowling as a medium-pacer-cum-offspinner and a remarkable
penchant for spectacular saves and catches - he had few
rivals to match his freakish brilliance in the field. His many
highlights included a world-record partnership of 464 for the fifth wicket with Steve for New South Wales
against Western Australia in 1990-91; his sterling 138 on Test debut; three commanding centuries as an opener at
the 1996 World Cup tournament; and 126 to seal the Frank Worrell Trophy in West Indies in 1995. The
lowest moment came in late 1998 when it emerged that he and Shane Warne accepted money
from an Indian bookmaker during a tour of Sri Lanka four years earlier.
A laconic, unassuming character, Waugh announced his retirement from
international cricket without fuss in October 2002 after losing his
place in the Test squad to play England. He played on for two seasons at New South Wales, but his elegant best was behind him.
John Polack